


the cherished blade

by dekupages



Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Drabble Series, Gen, local sword enthusiast gets his damn swords turned into other hims, my sweet Sword Boys, nothing too fancy i just want to share with you, sword family au, this doesnt have a plot im just gonna occasionally post drabbles in this universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:22:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23734567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dekupages/pseuds/dekupages
Summary: Seven boys from one, each an aspect of a child with a sword for a soul.Or; Jake has so many goddamn brothers the treehouse is gonna pop.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15





	1. Tinn: Spa Day

**Author's Note:**

> https://dekupages.tumblr.com/post/615177030292684800/someone-asked-after-these-boys-the-other-day-and
> 
> for reference :)

Tinn’s a quiet kid. It’s not on purpose, it’s just... moving his face takes a lot more effort than moving the rest of him. It feels kind of like a mask. It’s not like he has anything important to say, so why go to the trouble if it takes so much effort.

He thinks he should maybe make an exception to fix this misunderstanding though.

The businessmen are trying to help him into a bath of warm water and... he definitely saw one of them measure some dish soap in there. They’re also trying to take his hat, which is- hey, stop that- kind of annoying but their dedication is honestly kind of impressive because he is many, many pounds of golden boy. Like, a lot. Gold is heavy.

Finn and Jake did give him two thumbs up each as they left- even though they left with dirt-eating grins- so whatever the businessmen are planning can’t be that bad. He still decides to try anyway.

It takes a minute for him to kick his mostly unused voice into gear, and it comes out like it’s echoing down a long metal tube, which is... true, he guesses. He’s made of metal, and his throat’s a tube. But usually the echo isn’t so bad- it’s just been a few weeks since he last spoke. Eight of the businessmen are already lowering him slowly and with a lot of effort into the small tub by the time he can get his voice to work.

“Wwwwhaat. Aaaarrrre y- yyyyou. Doi-ing?”

He’s most of the way in the water when they drop him, but even a drop of a couple inches makes a resounding ‘thud’ on the thick plastic. Water sloshes up around him, splattering his face and hat. He’s glad they took his backpack off beforehand. One of the businessmen leans down over him while the rest go off to do... business things, Tinn guesses.

“We’re doing maintenance. Boss Finn said you hadn’t been cleaned in a while-” now that’s just mean, why would you say that Finn, that’s not even true, Tinn sits in a river for like an hour every sunday, “-or polished-” do swords even need to be polished? That’s for like, jewelry and spoons and stuff, “-so we’re doing that.”

Another businessman comes into view holding a pot through oven mitts. He rests it behind Tinn’s head, out of sight, but close enough he can feel the heat. The first one seems to have finally figured out that the hat doesn’t come off, and pulls it down behind his head, where it’s only hanging on by the base that’s melded seamlessly with his skin. Tarnished silver 'clinks’ and 'tinks’ as the small chains slide out to rest just above his shoulders, and the hat makes a weighty 'thump’ when it hits the tub. Tinn still doesn’t really understand how a fabric can be woven out of gold, but it’s not like he cares all that much.

He hears a noise of revulsion, and then something hissing slightly as it’s plunked into the hot water of the pot. There’s a few minutes of just… waiting, and Tinn takes a moment to just enjoy the slightly bubbly and toasty warm water. He’s totally submerged up to his neck, and his head is leaning back against plastic with enough give to be a perfectly adequate headrest. His clothes are soaked, but he’s not sure they come off anyway- they’re the same cloth as Scarlet’s hilt, and not more sword-stuff like the hat, but they still seem attached.

The businessmen finally deem their mixture done and move it closer. One of them gathers up Tinn’s hair and lifts it while the pot is moved under his head, and drops it with a small splash. Ten seconds later, it’s lifted out again- to discontent 'hmm'ing from the businessmen. Back in, and this time a pair of rubber gloves begins working the mix into the base of his hair.

Tinn blinks in surprise. This feels an awful lot like… a spa day. The circles on his scalp and firm but soothing, and the water hasn’t cooled down at all. He hears the one behind him start to hum as the other one rustles through something and comes around to his side, needle in one hand and box of thread in the other. He pulls out bolt after bolt of nearly identical thread, comparing them to his shirt, before finally deciding on one and reaching down.

Tinn lifts a hand to stop him- maybe ask what in Ooo he thought he was doing- but he just sticks his needle into the water without hesitation. “Don’t worry, I’m just patching up these old clothes. I’ll be done in a jiffy.”

He is, surprisingly, done in a jiffy. This particular businessman is very good at sewing, and even when he turns Tinn on his side to get at his back and Tinn hums discontentedly, he’s done in no time. He doesn’t bother with the shorts beyond hemming the frayed ends, to Tinn’s relief. 

“There we go, all done! Doesn’t that look better?” It does, in fact, look better. Tinn feels like he’s wearing clothes instead of rags for the first time in… ever. All the comparing the businessman did paid off, because the stitches are completely invisible. Tinn’s too relaxed to bother with his voice, but he turns a small, rare smile to the man in thanks. The businessman smiles back as he packs up the kit.

It’s about that time he hears a satisfied 'aha!’ from behind him, and the hands shampooing his 'hair’ pull away. Suddenly there’s a mirror in front of his face, and he blinks in surprise at the…. silver coming from his head. Actual silver. The colorful, but mostly brown rust-stuff he assumed was just his hair is gone, dissolved away in whatever was in that pot, and blindingly shiny silver clinks delicately down. It’s totally untangled too, looking like some sort of weird mythological crown instead of the usual dungeon-trash.

“Well, what do you think?” Tinn nods furiously, and the businessman seems pleased in the mirror. Tinn hears metal shuffling behind him as the mirror leaves, and assumes the man is packing the stuff away. He’s a little disappointed- he was really enjoying the spa day- but he knows nothing lasts forever. 'Cept maybe PB and Marcy. He’s working up the mojo to get out of the warm water when he hears footsteps and turns to see the businessman who fixed his clothes.

“Do you need to breathe?” Tinn shakes his head. “Alright, well then could you put your head underwater? The bath needs some time to work- we’ll be back in about three hours. Why don’t you take a nap while you wait?”

Tinn shifts his body down, and he slides the rest of the way under the water with no complaint. The man smiles and leaves, and Tinn closes his eyes and prepares to doze. He may not technically need sleep, but sleeping is still relaxing and enjoyable. He always wakes up feeling refreshed, too.

He doesn’t know what’s keeping the water warm, but he doesn’t really care. He’s content to be warm.

He wakes up to... toothbrushes. He’s being... scrubbed down by toothbrushes. Four businessmen- two of which he recognizes as the ones from earlier- have drained the tub and are now scrubbing him down with toothbrushes. A fifth is continually pouring water on the places being scrubbed to wash away what’s coming off and holy glob on mars that’s shiny.

He knows he’s made of a gold alloy and not actual gold- he’s way way tougher than that stuff, it’s way too bendy and easy to warp to make a sword out of- but where he’s freshly cleaned he shines like the pure stuff, like some sort of wildly expensive statue.

One of them notices he’s awake and speaks without prompting. “We couldn’t find any bigger brushes that were clean enough.” Ah, that makes sense. Wait, where did they get the toothbrushes?

Even with toothbrushes, the four of them are done quickly- even though Tinn had to close his eyes and uncomfortably endure having his face scrubbed with toothbrushes at one point. They blow him dry with Finn’s blow-dryer before they decide they’re finished. 

They back up and hold up a full length mirror, looking at Tinn with anticipation. He stands up a little shakily and steps out of the tub, taking a moment to look down at his absurdly shiny skin for himself. He looks up and...

For a second, he doesn’t recognize himself. He’s always looked... ragged. Like an old teddy bear, Marceline said. One ear torn off, a face that doesn’t move, all dull colors and torn clothes and scratched skin. But the person in the mirror looks alive, shiny and clean and wearing real clothes and looking like some sort of statue of a king, or a knight. His hat is still down, and when he pulls it up he sees it is actually a totally different shade from his skin- the both of them were just dirty enough to look similar. He’s still all scratched up, but the scars aren’t so noticeable under the gleam.

His voice echoes eerily, but he hopes his gratitude still gets through. “Th-th-... thaaank. Yoooouuuu.” They grin back at him, so he thinks it does.

Later, his brothers sidle up to him, wide grins on their faces, and ask about his day. Tinn’s not great at words or faces, so he does what he usually does, and uses body language to communicate instead. He hugs them hard, and Finn laughs loud and long as Jake stretches himself like he’s a squished balloon and pretends he’s being squeezed to death. Tinn loves his brothers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a couple more I have to clean up and post from a bit back, so once i get through them and start posting new ones, you might notice the style is a little different. i had a whole bio written for each Boy a ways back, but i changed my tumblr url since so that post is In The Garbage, unfortunately. you'll hear everybody's backstories in pieces i guess! maybe itll be more fun that way!


	2. Fig: Bedtime

BMO’s fearful cries ring loud and long through the empty house, spilling eerily over dark hills lit only by stars.

“NOOOOOOOO!!”

Their cries are chilling enough to stop any heart, but there’s not one within ten miles. Only the heartless gaze of the vicious predator hunting down the little robot, teeth bared in a feral grin as it advances with the slow, deliberate steps of something that knows it’s already won. BMO panics, shoving themself back as far as they can, but all they succeed in doing is pressing themself further into the corner where they’ve inadvertently trapped themself. “NEPTR! FINN! TINN! JAKE! ANYONE!! HEEEELP!!!”

NEPTR doesn’t move. His lifeless eyes don’t even twitch. BMO has to swallow the urge to cry as they look on their fallen friend.

With a final step, the beast looms over the hopeless little robot. It’s twisted, gnarled hand reaches for them, and they throw a thin arm over their screen so they don’t have to see their end. They release one final scream as the cold digits make contact-

“I win again!! I told you guys I’m really good at freeze tag!” Fig stands triumphant as BMO lets out another frustrated yell and flops face-first onto the floor. NEPTR rights himself and wheels over, a warily hopeful look on his face.

“Now will you go to bed? We promised Finn and Jake we’d have you in bed by now, and we played ‘just one more game’ just like you asked!”

Fig lets himself fall back to sit with a wooden 'thump’, a small frown on his face. He lets out a long, sad sigh before speaking. “I mean, I guess. I just thought you guys would be cool and not lame, but whatever.” Another long sigh.

BMO and NEPTR exchange distraught glances. They really don’t want to be lame, but the brothers trusted them to watch their youngest and get him to bed on time. What are they going to do?!

BMO suddenly shoots up- that’s a great idea! Winking at NEPTR to tell him they have a plan, they turn to the sulking wooden boy. “Weeeell… I wasn’t going to show you this until you were older, but if you’re old enough to stay up this late I bet you’re old enough to watch it.”

Fig straightens immediately, a gleam in his eyes as he tries and fails to hide his excitement. “Watch what?”

“It’s a surprise. But it’s really scary, so we better get some blankets and pillows first.” He runs off immediately, wooden footsteps echoing quieter and quieter as he leaves.

It’s later, and the three remaining residents of the treehouse look upon their work with pride. The nest is huge, easily filling the area they moved the dining table from in area and reaching up to Fig’s chest in height. There’s every single blanket and pillow in the house in that pile. Fig excitedly vaults the wall of the nest, NEPTR cradled in his arms, as BMO runs around to the kitchen to fetch the chamomile tea they made for Fig while he and NEPTR were nest-gathering. Fig settles down by the wall and takes the tea from where BMO’s standing on the neighboring table to give it to him.

“Can’t watch a scary movie with the lights on!” With that, BMO darts off towards the light switch. With a click, everything goes dark except for the green light of their own face. It’s not hard to navigate back to Fig’s waiting hands, and he lifts them onto the small plateau they’ve made for the little robot.

“Hey, before we start- why’d you make tea? I like tea, but tea doesn’t seem like something you’d drink to watch a scary movie.”

“Beeeecause tea is good and tasty? Anyway-I'm-starting-the-movie-now!” With a click, their face was replaced with the black start of the movie. Whew, that was close- how would they explain they were trying to put him to sleep with chamomile when he was supposed to be watching a scary movie?

It’s got a slow start, they told him when the first twenty minutes was nothing but people in fancy hats talking. A really slow start, when the next twenty minutes was more of the same. Beyond that, it didn’t really matter, because Fig had finally drifted off to the quiet conversation of Pride and Prejudice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short and sweet :)
> 
> I have a little trouble writing Fig because children are not my strong suit, but i hope i got 'very young Finn who is also a tree' across okay


End file.
